BMW's small and agile two-door is the last living link to Bimmers of the past

By John LeBlanc

Originally published: June 6, 2014

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Overview BMW’s last link to its sporty, small car pastPros A “real” coupe with (gasp!) only two doors; tidy overall dimensions; athletic driving characteristicsCons Could use a bit more power; some buyers may want AWD or a convertibleValue for money ExcellentWhat would I change? Add 20 more horsepower for more rear-drive fun

With BMW’s recent niche-within-a-niche product strategy, maybe it’s best to describe the new 2014 BMW 2 Series Coupe for what it isn’t. As in it’s not a coupe-slash-SUV nor a coupe with four-doors nor a tall-hatchback-crossover thingee. Nope. The new-this-year 2 Series is a relatively simple, rear-wheel-drive, two-door small car with its engine mounted longitudinally in the front that’s really fun to drive. Or the type of vehicle the German automaker only once ever made.

You have to go back to the 1960s to get an idea why the 2 Series Coupe exists. BMW launched the Neue Klasse (or New Class) of compact sedans and coupes in 1962, and the sales success not only stopped the struggling automaker from going under, it also led to the creation of the 1966 1600-2, a relatively simple, rear-wheel-drive, two-door small car with its engine mounted longitudinally in the front that was really fun to drive (or so I’ve read). That small BMW coupe begat the iconic 2002 in 1968, and paved the way for the original BMW 3 Series in 1975, which a lot of folks forget came only as a two-door coupe.

As they say, the rest is history.

The interior of the 2014 BMW 228i Coupe is well-appointed and driver oriented. Anybody who has driven a recent 3 Series or 4 Series coupe should be very familiar with these surroundings.John LeBlanc, Driving

While no one can argue that the success of the 3 Series (it virtually invented the compact premium car segment) has been a boon financially for BMW, its popularity has also caused the 3er to become larger (it’s now about the size of a 5 Series from two generations ago). And, for the first time ever, the 3 Series no longer offers a two-door coupe, as BMW’s marketers have renamed the 3 Series-based two-doors as 4 Series for 2014.

Which brings us full circle to the 2 Series example BMW Canada loaned me for a week to try out, the $38,095 (all starting MSRPs include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) 2014 228i Coupe. It’s the base model in a lineup that also includes the pricier ($47,995) and more powerful M235i Coupe, and, in theory, it’s not only a replacement for the outgoing 1 Series, but also a direct descendant to the ’66 1600-2. But after a half-century, how much of that small BMW two-door’s essence remain in the new 228i Coupe? And should keen drivers get one over the larger 428i Coupe?

For starters, BMW made the decision to pop for the 2 Series Coupe over the 4er relatively easy in regards to its price. The 2014 428i Coupe uses the same 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque turbocharged 2.0-lite four-cylinder gas engine and standard six-speed manual or optional ($1,600 in the case of the 228i) eight-speed automatic as the 228i, yet carries a $46,995 starting price. And because the 428i Coupe weighs 72 kilograms more than the 1,479-kg 228i Coupe (when both are equipped with manual gearboxes), the less-expensive BMW two-door bests the pricier 4 Series by 0.2 seconds in the zero to 100 kilometres per hour acceleration test, taking just 5.9 seconds. (On a closed track, BMW says, both coupes top out at 210 km/hr).

The 228i Coupe delivered better body control, handling balance and more precise steering than any current 328i Sedan or 428i Coupe John LeBlanc has driven, he writes.John LeBlanc, Driving

The BMW 228i Coupe’s lighter weight, more athletic suspension setup, crisper steering and tidier overall dimensions also mean it’s the better small Bimmer two-door to drive enthusiastically. Like the 3 and 4 Series, 2 Series suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front, with a multilink setup at the rear. But the 228i Coupe I drove delivered better body control, handling balance and more precise steering than any current 328i Sedan or 428i Coupe I’ve driven.

The word “agile” is a quality those early small BMW coupes had in spades, and the 228i Coupe certainly feels that way when it’s being hustled along a twisty road. And unlike the fleet of front- or all-wheel-drive sports compact cars in showrooms, the 2 Series’ rear-drive setup makes it unique. It allows the BMW to attack corners with precision at turn in. Alas, at this point, I’d go on about the 228i Coupe’s ability to throttle steer via its rear wheels, but on public roads at least, there’s simply not enough power to work with. For that, I’d recommend the $47,095 2014 M235i Coupe, with its 332 hp turbocharged straight-six mill.

To be clear: the BMW 228i Coupe is not a pure sports car, like the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins. But it does offer the balance and athletic driving characteristics that non-RWD compact coupes simply can’t deliver. And in BMW’s ever-broadening lineup, the 228i Coupe is arguably the last link to storied Bimmers of the past. It’s much more of a driver’s car than the formerly-known-as-3 Series Coupe — the 4 Series.

Finally, while unskilled Canadian drivers who need traction at all four wheels or sun worshipers who want an open-top coupe will argue they can get those features in the 4 Series xDrive and convertible models, BMW has announced that all-wheel-drive 2 Series models are on the way. And unofficially, expect a 2 Series Convertible within the next year as well.